Success with Less Stress

Students with high grade point averages often carry an unhealthy load of stress. How can schools help?

The headlines are alarming. Many students who feel the pressure to succeed have been cheating, pulling all nighters to study, becoming depressed, and seeking relief in drug use and self-mutilation. Multiple news reports have directed attention to what some are calling an epidemic of student stress in top U.S. schools (see, for example, Boccella, 2007; Keates, 2007; McMahon, 2007). These headlines are not just media hype; empirical data corroborate the reports.

Our study explored what students themselves said about the causes of their school-related stress and then looked at ways to reduce it. We hoped to find ways for schools to reverse this trend by developing healthier school environments that promote student engagement and well-being.